The Uni's Secrets: The Lost Mother

Chapter Ten: Anwir

Some of what I know I'm under orders not to tell you," Kaiemi warned.

"Orders?" I questioned, quirking an eyebrow as I exchanged a glance with Apollo and Lexie.

Kaiemi nodded. "Your mother made it very clear that you aren't allowed to know this until we knew what role you are going to play."

I had no idea what she was talking about–I mean, I'd known my entire life I was heir to Zeliaras–but apparently, Kaiemi wasn't going to explain.

"I've said too much already," she said. "I can tell you this, however: I know where Anwir is."

My siblings and I looked at each other in confusion. How in the Uni could she know where Anwir was?

"How would you know that?" Apollo asked, doing a bad job of downplaying his suspicions.

Kaiemi raised an eyebrow. "He was my main target, as I said before."

"Where is he, then?" I asked.

Kaiemi glanced over her shoulder. "All right. We're alone. Anwir is hiding in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park."

"What part?" I inquired, knowing that Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was rather large.

"Mauna Kea."

"What part of Mauna Kea?" I continued, slightly impatient.

"I don't know," Kaiemi admitted. "I only know that the–the people Anwir works for have a base on Mauna Kea, and that he went there after fleeing Zeliaras."

"Why did he have to flee Zeliaras?" Lexie asked eagerly. I knew she was hoping that Father had kicked him out, but I was doubtful. Father appeared to have really liked Anwir.

"I suppose 'flee' is the wrong word," Kaiemi responded. "A better word would be 'left'. It appears he needed to report to–whomever he is working for."

"Whomever he is working for?" I questioned. "You don't know?" Kaiemi had hesitated before she'd said that, and I wondered if that meant she was hiding something.

Kaiemi sighed. "I've told you too much as it is."

"That's not a 'no, I don't know'," Apollo noted.

"Correct. It is not."

"But it's not a yes, either?" Apollo pressed.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second–long enough to make me think that she definitely knew who Anwir worked for. "It's not a yes, either," Kaiemi said.

"You're lying," I said.

Kaiemi rubbed her temple. "What you must understand is that there are some things that I am not allowed to tell you."

"Who told you not to? Mother?"

Kaiemi hesitated yet again. "That is one of the things I'm not allowed to tell you. Be satisfied that I'm allowed to tell you what I already have."

I frowned. It was clear that we weren't going to get anything else out of Kaiemi, but I still didn't like it. "Is there anything else you can tell us?" I asked.

"Yes."

I waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, I went back over my words and realized that I had indeed asked a yes-or-no question. "What is it?"